Why Shop Local?

It is that time of year again when the cooler weather reduces the number of visitors to Lennox Head. This can often impact our local traders who really feel the pinch. After all, it is often these local businesses that truly add to the vibrancy and distinctive character in Lennox. This month we are urging you to do your bit to support our local businesses to ensure that they remain strong and healthy.

There are benefits to shopping locally that improve our community, economy and environment.

1. Keep the dollars at home

Shopping local means that our dollars stay in our community rather than going to a national or international company.

Estimates suggest that when you buy local, approximately 70% of your money stays in the local community, is used to make purchases from other local businesses and has a snowball effect to strengthen the community’s economy.

Local businesses are owned by people who live here, and who have an investment in staying. Not only that, but when local businesses are thriving, they are a lot more attractive to visitors. Thriving businesses attract tourists and have a positive effect on real estate prices.

2. Create jobs

For every 2 jobs national retailers bring to a community, 3 jobs are lost as a result of local businesses closing down.

Local traders create local jobs. In Australia, small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our communities provide the most jobs. Local employers also often employ people with a greater understanding of the products they sell and take more time to get to know their customers providing better customer service.

3. Save money

Research shows that people will travel over an hour, and spend up to $10 in fuel, to secure a $5 saving.

This game of saving money at the checkout is a game many of us are losing without realising. It is often cheaper to go to the local shop and pay a few dollars more for an item.

Locally sourced, food in season is also cheaper as it is usually plentiful and fewer resources have gone into growing and transportation.

4. Look after your health

There are many health benefits of buying local, seasonal produce. Out-of-season foods (like strawberries in winter) have been grown in artificial conditions, or grown far away, picked prematurely and transported long distances to get to our local shops.

5. Look after
the environment

The transport of food over longer distances generates more emissions than buying locally.

A typical Australian food basket (based on 25 items in a shopping basket) has travelled an estimated 70,000km – this is equivalent to travelling twice around the circumference of the Earth or travelling around Australia’s coastline three times.

Foods that have been stored and transported large distances are likely to be nutritionally inferior to their local equivalents.

We have it all

We are spoilt here in Lennox Head. For dining in we have fruit and veg, delicatessens, butcher and supermarket.